The Eastern Cape Department of Education MEC, Fundile Gade has learnt with sadness of the gruesome rape of a five-year-old learner while travelling back home from Emndeni Junior Secondary school in Bizana last Friday, February 29th, 2024.

Although details surrounding this incident are still sketchy, a case has been opened with the South African Police service to investigate the matter. Internally, the department has already activated a district team to visit the school and family while investigation will also be undertaken to establish facts around the matter.

Since it is still early, the department will pronounce on the next step as it will be determined by the planned investigation, starting next Monday, March 4th, 2024.

‘I have been left speechless by such a brutal and inhumane assault to a child, this calls for moral reset in our communities.

We expect the investigators of this incident to provide us with a detailed account leading to this incident.

Should anyone be found having negligently acted leading to this incident, heads will roll.  Additionally, what disturbs me most is that, elders are supposed to protect children, not prey on them, surely this will leave a lifetime scar in the life of this innocent child.

We condemn this incident with the strongest terms as it striped the child off her dignity, said Gade.

The MEC also calls upon the law enforcement agencies to speed up the investigation so that the culprit can face jail time for this barbaric incident.

The department will activate its psychosocial support for affected family, classmates and the school. This will ensure that they receive debriefing and counselling from the department’s Education Social Support Services (ESSS).

The matter is still under investigation by both the department and the SAPS

Issued by Eastern Cape Department of Education Communications Directorate. For enquiries, please contact the DoE Spokesperson, Mr Malibongwe Mtima at 062 057 1591, Acting Head of Communications, Ms Nyameka Mgijima at 060 530 0348